Allergy to mold

Allergy to mold is a hidden threat to human health. Mold fungus is a large group of living organisms found in any climatic environment, in any season. It is almost impossible to exclude contact with them. Fungus multiplies under wet and warm conditions, both in houses and outside living quarters. Mold - poorly studied, but a terrible allergen.

The allergy to mold, or rather to its spores, arises apart either by a joint reaction to a tick of house dust, pollen, food. Spores of the fungus do not exceed ten microns, are easily carried by air masses and exert their pathogenic effects through the human respiratory system. Fungus can live in any humid place in the room: in pots of indoor plants, on walls, under a window sill, in an attic, in a bathroom, a greenhouse, etc. Food, alcohol can become a refuge of mold. Modern industry uses various additives, mold-based enzymes for making soap, household chemicals, toothpastes, cosmetics.

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Symptoms of mold allergy

Allergy to mold is a danger that lies in wait for us everywhere. It appears with varying degrees of severity in each individual, and the symptomatology is similar to other types of allergic reactions. An allergy to mold, the symptoms of its manifestation begin with the upper respiratory tract and are very reminiscent of the common cold. Only in contrast to the ordinary flu and ARVI, to cope with a runny nose, sneezing, sputum secretion, the flow of mucus on the back of the throat caused by an allergy, without eliminating the cause of a painful condition is impossible. The process can become aggravated and develop into a severe cough, sinusitis. Allergies to mold also causes watery eyes, itchy eyes, tickling in the nose, and the sound of the throat. When the allergen gets on the skin, there is swelling, redness, itching. Particularly severe cases lead to various skin rashes.

The most dangerous allergy to mold for people suffering from bronchial asthma. Contact with microscopic spores can lead to an exacerbation of the disease, cause an asthma attack with a cough, wheezing, shortness of breath.

Do not pass for two weeks, the symptoms of mold allergy should become an alarm, followed by a mandatory call to the doctor.

Allergy to molded cheese

Cheese with mold is a delicacy or a hidden threat? To allergy to cheese with mold you do not bother, you need to know how to properly choose cheese, store and use.

Cheese mold is divided into types: 

• white - plaque is formed by aging in special cellars, where the walls are covered with fungi corresponding to the genus penicillum (varieties of brie and camembert); 
• red - matures thanks to special bacteria (cheeses Livaro and Munster); 
• greenish-blue - is located inside the cheese, is introduced during the preparation in the cheese mass with the help of special tubes (roquefort cheese).

Even true gourmets recommend starting to consume cheeses in such a sequence: first with white mold, then go to the bland blue grades, only then evaluate the taste of roquefort and camembert. Do not eat moldy cheeses every day, let alone give to children. Pregnant women this product is strictly prohibited.

The permissible rate of such cheese is about 50 grams at a time, which is good to accompany with a glass of red wine and fruit. When choosing a cheese with mold, always pay attention to the period of manufacture and shelf life. Varieties with white mold have the smell of penicillin. Cheeses with blue mold are inspected for cutting. It contains veins of mold, but the channels through which the mold came in are not clearly pronounced.

Cheeses with mold are not intended for storage in a refrigerator, therefore it is more expedient to buy it "on time". If you still left a piece of the desired product, wrap it in your own wrapper, do not use cellophane and place it in the refrigerator.

The use of cheese with mold in reasonable quantities will only benefit. It is rich in calcium, proteins, phosphorus salts, and also amino acids, which favorably influence the formation and strengthening of muscles. However, moldy mushrooms can cause intestinal distress and dysbiosis.

An allergy to cheese with mold such as brie and camembert is inherent in people with penicillin intolerance. In children, cheese with mold is able to cause listeriosis - a liver disease with disorders of the lymphatic and nervous systems. It is important for allergic people to follow a special diet, in which there is no place for cheese with mold. Do not be tempted, do not experiment with your health.

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Allergy to black mold

Black mold has an unpleasant smell and affects the walls of houses. Allergy to black mold occurs in adults and children. Of course, if the parents suffer from allergic reactions or asthma, the possibility of allergy to mold in the child is increased.

Mold can attach and carry bacteria, viruses, aggravating allergic symptoms. So there are migraines, runny nose, heart problems, mycosis and other. Determine the type of fungus can only specialists from environmental expertise, which for this purpose take a scraping. Black mold is considered the most dangerous. If you find a sinister black, hairy, with a silvery tint around the edges of the stain, you can treat it with whiteness, even better with an antifungal agent. Just do not rush to dry it with a hair dryer or quartz. If you did not manage to destroy the enemy to the end, mold spores when drying with a hair dryer can fly around the apartment and even visit your neighbors.

After the black mold has been found, it is necessary to find out and eliminate the causes of its appearance. Most often, the perpetrators are: high vapor permeability of external structures, high humidity and poor ventilation of the premises.

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Allergy to mold in children

Allergy to mold in children is the most common cause of morbidity from March to November. Favorite places for spreading mold are: barns, basements, sheds, congestion of foliage and hay. If pathological controversy has not been found in your home, then your child needs to be extremely careful on the street to avoid contact with mold.

Children react particularly actively to moldy mushrooms, which is expressed by conjunctivitis, dermatitis, eczema. According to statistics, children with bronchial asthma are especially prone to allergic reactions to mold spores. If you begin to notice your child's whistles when breathing, coughing, sudden shortness of breath, then they can become symptoms of asthma.

Allergy to mold in children is determined by the following signs: 

• transparent liquid discharge from the nose; 
• lacrimation; 
• frequent "snorting"; 
• continuous sneezing; 
• nose bleed; 
• the appearance of a depression on the tip of the nose from infinite friction; 
• dark circles around the eyes; 
• Increased diseases of the upper respiratory tract, otitis; 
• night cough, nasal congestion in the morning; 
• noisy breathing during sleep; 
• cough accompanying physical activity; 
• a non-treatable cough accompanied by a "rattling", wheezing.

"Catarrhal disease or an allergic reaction?" Is the most important question facing parents. Allergy to mold in children can lead to serious diseases: mycosis, aspergillosis, cardiovascular disorders and even to oncology. Therefore, at the first suspicion of an allergy it is better to consult a doctor.

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Treatment of allergies to mold

Treatment of allergy to mold is to clean the room from fungal spores and prevent its appearance in the future. Determine the presence of mold in your house can only be through a thorough examination of particularly wet rooms - kitchen, bathroom, basement or attic rooms, bookshelves, etc. The quality of the installation of plastic windows can also affect the health of all family members.

Treatment of allergy to mold by drugs is carried out according to the following general schemes: 

• with nasal congestion it is recommended to wash the sinuses with saline solution; 
• in more severe cases, a course of treatment with antihistamine or hormonal drugs is prescribed; 
• for the development of immunity allergen in small doses is administered to the patient (allergen-specific immunotherapy, abbreviated ASIT).

An important task for medical professionals is the correctness of the diagnosis, which can be difficult to do because of the similarity of allergy symptoms to mold and common cold.

Treatment of mold allergy is the elimination of contact with a pathogenic fungus, which is ensured by the following rules: 

• constant cleaning of wet rooms in your house (dry wipe the bathroom) with the use of protective equipment; 
• application of extracts from steam in the bathtub, in the kitchen; 
• the use of disposable bags, wiping the dryer for dishes; 
• avoid damp in poorly ventilated areas; 
• abandon houseplants, especially in the bedroom; 
• do not work in the garden when there is old foliage, grass (spring, autumn); 
• Do not stay close to moldy straw, leaves and during their burning; 
• to refuse from visiting vegetable stores, warehouses with products containing mold; 
• stocks of vegetables, fruits stored in the refrigerator or outside the residential area; 
• monitor the level of humidity (not more than 60-65%) and dust in the apartment; 
• before going to bed, you can use a quartz lamp (for 15-30 minutes) and an air purifier; 
• The ventilation holes are preferably covered with HEPA filters; 
• if necessary, use dehumidifiers; 
• use special building compounds to protect against mold during repair work; 
• Cleaning in the dwelling should be carried out with a vacuum cleaner of a new generation, and the respiratory organs should be covered with a mask with HEPA-filter.

People who are allergic to mold should not eat foods that contain: cheese, sour milk products, kvass, beer, xylitol, sugar, yeast dough, sauerkraut, and others that have undergone fermentation during manufacture.

Allergy to mold is a serious illness requiring timely treatment under the supervision of a specialist. Do not wait for a wave of new attacks - contact an allergist.